It is known in the art that automated systems have been developed for use in telecommunications applications wherein the automated systems will place a telephone call for the purpose, for example, of connecting a business agent at one end with a member of the public at the other end. However, it is becoming increasingly more common for members of the public to utilize machines such as answering machines to respond to incoming calls for the purpose of screening calls, taking messages, blocking calls, and so forth. As those in the art readily appreciate, if the automated system connects a business agent to a machine, there is a great loss in efficiency in the use of the services of the business agent.
Thus, there is need in the art for method and apparatus for detecting whether a telephone call set up by an automated telephony system has been answered by a machine and, in particular, by an answering machine.